Bangkok top city for Indian tourists in Asia

NEW DELHI: Bangkok leads the Asian cities list of the most searched global summer holiday destinations by Indians, according to global travel search site Skyscanner.

Although London was the top searched destination overall, Bangkok came in at number two globally, ahead of other favourite destinations; such as, New York, Dubai, Paris and Toronto.

“We have seen a 65 per cent year on year increase in outbound travel amongst Indian travellers this summer holiday. Based on our data, Indians are becoming more experimental when it comes to travelling abroad,” Kavitha Gnanamurthy, Senior Marketing Manager, Skyscanner India, was quoted as saying in the Indian media.

“In the spirit of exploration, they are looking for longer, more expensive trips and are searching for newer destinations,” she said.

According to the Skyscanner report, Bangkok welcomes tourists from India with a 119 per cent year on year growth rate. Bangkok is also well-known among Indian travellers for its ancient sites, valuable price shopping, tasteful authentic Thai food, lively nightlife, and beautiful beaches.

With a benefit of visa-on-arrival, visitors from India can also look forward to joining the Amazing Thailand Grand Sales from mid-June to mid August .

The survey puts the average length of the stay for Indian travellers in Bangkok at 7 days.

India is one of Thailand’s fastest growing source-markets. In January – March 2015, Thailand welcomed 231,012 Indian visitors, an increase of 13.73% over the same period of last year. TAT is projecting 1.05 million arrivals from India in 2015.

Indian visitors know Thailand as a hospitable and a year-round tourism destination with a high quality of value-for-money products and services. Indians get visa-on-arrival facilities at Thailand’s international checkpoints.

Indian leisure travellers generally go shopping and sightseeing in Bangkok and Pattaya with an increasing number also heading to Phuket, Chiang Mai, Samui, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Ayutthaya and Ko Chang. Recent years have also shown a marked rise in the number of Indian film-makers, MICE delegates, wedding parties and honeymooners.

In 2014, Thailand won eight Indian tourism awards; such as, Best Wedding Destination, Best Destination, Best International Tourism Board, Best Spa Destination and Best Value Destination.

At the 2015 Thailand Travel Mart+ annual trade show held in June, Indians were one of the largest contingent of buyers. TAT is also expanding its marketing efforts into secondary Indian cities; such as, Ahmedabad, Pune and Bangalore.

New products such as the opening of the Amazone Cartoon Network theme park in Bang Saray, just a little south of Pattaya, are also helping TAT expand the family market from India and grow the average length of stay.